Donner and Blitzen
Who_Daily Link: < a href="http://persiflage-1.livejournal.com/329178.html">Donner and Blitzen by < lj user=persiflage_1> (Characters: Ten/Martha, Jack | Rating: PG | Spoilers: None)
Title: Donner and Blitzen
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Jack
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None (Pre-TW: S3, post-DW: Planet of the Dead)
Summary: The Doctor discovers the perils of unorthodox TARDIS flight, but enjoys Christmas anyway.
Disclaimer: I occasionally wish that I did own it!
Author Notes: This fic is a surprise Holiday Gift for nschick, and was inspired by this Doctor Who 'ident' clip which the BBC are using this Christmas. Yes, I've written tag fic for an ident. My plot bunnies know no shame!
Betas: the incomparable abstruse_fangrl and catholicphoton
~~~~~~
"Wheeeeeeeeeee! Yahoooo! Woop, Woop, Woop!" yelled the Doctor gleefully as the TARDIS shot through the air, towed by half a dozen flying reindeer. The ship's engines wheezed gently beneath him as they provided extra motive power so that the reindeer didn't have to do all of the work.
He yelled, and cheered, and whooped joyfully, having more fun than he could remember having in a long time, as they whooshed across the landscape of Frostfall, looping the loop, performing complicated turns, and generally showing off. The local birds fled in a panic, but that just made the Doctor laugh even more. His only regret, and it was a tiny one, was that there was no one with him to share in the fun.
* * * * * *
Three hours later
The Doctor groaned his way into consciousness, wondering just what had befallen him this time, because he felt like he'd been hit by a bus. He tried to lift his hands to hold his aching head, and let out a scream of agony as hot pain lanced through his body.
He lay whimpering as he waited for the pain to subside, then cautiously opened his eyes. At first all he could see was whiteness, then he managed to lift his head a scant inch, and realised he was lying in a snowdrift. After that memory came flooding back: he'd been flying the TARDIS like a sleigh, pulled by some reindeer, and they'd crashed when one of the reindeer had been spooked by a diving hawk that had resented having its territory invaded.
He reached out mentally for the TARDIS and realised that she was relatively nearby, and still in one piece. I'm sorry, old girl, he apologised, feeling guilty about crashing his ship, and about flying her in such an unorthodox manner, although he had enjoyed it at the time, especially looping-the-loop.
"Rassilon," he groaned, now remembering that he'd been in the middle of the loop, right at its very apex, when the reindeer had been spooked, and he'd lost control.
He closed his eyes again and concentrated on establishing how much damage he'd done to himself; he half-wished he'd regenerated, but apparently he hadn't done himself sufficient injury to cause a regeneration. The final inventory of his injuries was one broken ankle (right), one broken elbow and wrist (right), one dislocated shoulder (left), and a number of cuts and bruises. He was also doubtful about the state of his ribs on the right side, but couldn't tell for certain if they were merely bruised or actually cracked.
"Oh, I need a doctor," he groaned.
The TARDIS hummed a heartfelt agreement, and he felt a spark of an idea. Can you go and fetch her for me? he asked tentatively.
The ship hummed again, and then a few moments later he heard the familiar wheeze and groan of her engines as she departed. It was highly unusual for a TARDIS to operate without a pilot at all, but then, his ship was unusual by the standards of the now-departed Time Lords anyway.
He allowed his consciousness to retreat, putting himself into a healing sleep until the ship and his doctor should arrive. He just hoped Martha would be willing to enter the TARDIS without his presence, and that she wouldn't panic when the ship took off with only her aboard.
* * * * * *
Earth
It was the early hours of Christmas Eve, and Martha Jones lay fast asleep in her hotel room. She'd spent the previous day, until some time after 1am, helping Jack, Gwen and Ianto deal with a very nasty virus that had broken out in Cardiff, and she'd barely managed to undress herself and put on her pyjamas before she'd fallen asleep, utterly exhausted.
She'd been asleep for roughly three hours when she was rudely awoken by a wholly unexpected, yet utterly familiar sound: the groaning and wheezing of the TARDIS materialising. She moaned into her pillow in dismay, then rolled over and snapped on the bedside light, expecting the Doctor to come bounding out at any second; instead the door opened slowly, but no Time Lord appeared.
Puzzled and slightly worried, Martha pulled herself up, then climbed out of bed. She grabbed up her dressing gown and pulled it on, then shuffled her feet into her slippers before padding over to the ship.
"Doctor?" she called as she stepped inside. There was no sign of him in the Control Room, so she headed towards the door that led to the ship's interior, wondering if he was in the Medical Bay for some reason, but she was only halfway there when the TARDIS door closed, and then the ship began to dematerialise.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed, shocked. "What's going on?"
The ship hummed at her, but there was no other answer; the Time Rotor whirred up and down, but the Doctor didn't appear. Martha was forced to cling onto the railing at the edge of the central dais as the ship hurtled through the Vortex; she wondered where she was going, and what had happened to the Time Lord for the TARDIS to forcibly kidnap her in such a manner.
Before she could get too anxious, the Time Rotor slowed, and then the ship landed with her customary bump. Martha hurried to the door, flinging it open, then recoiling in surprise when she saw the deep snow outside.
"I'm not dressed to go out in that!" she exclaimed, turning away from the door. As she hurried back up the ramp she spotted a pile of clothing on the Captain's chair, and she made a beeline for it. She found jeans, a heavy sweater, boots and a thickly padded coat, and she pulled them on over her pyjamas as quickly as she could, before hurrying back down the ramp and out into the snow.
She looked around, wondering why the TARDIS had brought her here, wherever 'here' was, then she heard a faint call. Was the Doctor calling her, she wondered.
"Doctor?" she called back, hoping it was safe to do so and that no one nasty was lurking nearby.
"Martha!" A faint cry answered her.
She began to forge a path forward through the snow, and quickly found the Time Lord sprawled in a snowdrift.
"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, shocked by the state of his clothes, and the bruises she could see on his face.
"Had a bit of an accident," he answered, his voice sounding weak.
"How badly are you hurt?" she asked immediately.
"Broke several bones," he said, "including my right ankle."
Martha swore softly. "How am I going to get you into the TARDIS?" she asked, wishing she'd had the chance to bring Jack, who could have helped her to carry the Doctor.
"There's - " He stopped, gasping for a moment, then continued. "There's a special stretcher in the Med Bay, it floats," he told her. "Ask the TARDIS to find it for you."
"All right. I'll be back as quick as I can."
He gave a tiny nod, then his eyes closed, and Martha turned and hurried back to the TARDIS as quickly as she could.
"I need the floating stretcher," she told the ship as she dashed inside. She found the Medical Bay was just outside the Control Room, and on top of one of the beds was an object that was clearly a stretcher, even if it did look rather futuristic. She snatched it up, then hurried back out to the Doctor.
"There's no way I can put you onto this without hurting you," she told him apologetically as she positioned the stretcher close by.
"I know," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Martha bent and kissed his forehead, then gritted her teeth and carefully rolled him over onto his back with the stretcher beneath him. He let out a harsh cry, then blacked out; she felt her heart clench and her stomach churn at his reaction, then she activated the mechanism that made it rise up from the snow as if gravity meant nothing at all.
She carefully guided the stretcher back to the ship, then inside, feeling grateful that the TARDIS had opened the second door so she wouldn't have to struggle to manoeuvre the Doctor inside. In the Medical Bay, she settled the stretcher on top of one of the examination beds, then proceeded to get the Doctor out of his clothes. She was grateful that he remained unconscious while she was carrying out this task, as it made it easier to be quick when she didn't have to worry about hurting him as much as if he'd been able to react to being hurt.
Once she had him down to his trousers and t-shirt, she set about using the portable X-ray machine to check the damage; she felt glad that she'd got the Doctor to show her how to use at least some of the equipment in the Med Bay as it made her job quicker.
He came around again as Martha was looking at the various X-ray images which the TARDIS had projected onto the wall above the bed.
"Martha?" he croaked.
She bent over him. "Hello Doctor," she said softly. "I've just been looking at your X-rays."
"Ribs?" he asked.
"Not broken," she assured him, "though you're developing some spectacular bruising there. What the hell have you been doing?"
"Um, flying the TARDIS like it was a sleigh, complete with reindeer," he answered, looking slightly sheepish.
Martha gaped at him. "I'm not going to ask," she said weakly. "Did you have fun?"
"Oh yes," he assured her.
"I guess that makes the broken bones and bruises worth it, then," she commented. "But I'm going to have to patch you up now, which will mean hurting you some more." He nodded ruefully. "Is there anything I can give you to ease the pain, before I begin?"
He told her the name of a drug, and which cupboard it was in, and she gave it to him, holding his left hand while they waited for it to kick in.
"What am I going to do with you?" she teased gently. "Only you would be daft enough to turn the TARDIS into a sleigh and fly it around."
"It was fun," he protested.
"So you said."
"What were you doing when the TARDIS arrived?" he asked, changing the subject in a very obvious manner.
She hesitated to answer, and he groaned. "Let me guess, you were asleep?"
Martha nodded. "Had a very long day, helping out Jack's team," she told him. "It's okay, though, it's not your fault. And I can catch up while you get some rest."
He squeezed her hand. "I am sorry, though," he said sincerely.
She bent down and kissed his cheek. "It's okay. I'm glad you sent the TARDIS for me - I'd hate to think of you being trapped here in a snowdrift and unable to move for ages. Now, are you ready for me to starting mauling you about?"
"Mauling?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm teasing," she assured him quickly. "But this will be painful until I've got your bones set and in casts."
"I know." He sighed. "Go ahead."
Martha nodded, then set to work, feeling very glad that the Doctor kept the TARDIS well stocked with advanced casts since she was able to use them with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of speed. Within an hour, she had reset the Doctor's dislocated shoulder, then put casts on his right ankle and his right arm so that both his wrist and elbow were immobilised. She also bandaged his ribs to remind him that they were bruised and to be careful of what he did.
"Right then, mister, let's get you to your room so you can get some proper rest."
"I wouldn't mind a nap," the Doctor agreed.
She helped him down off the bed and into a wheelchair, then gathered up his discarded clothes which he took from her, putting them on his lap, so that Martha could wheel him through the ship to his bedroom.
Once there, she helped him change into his pyjamas, then got him settled in bed. "Do you want a cup of tea or something to eat?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Are you going to join me?" he asked. "This bed's big enough for two, and your virtue will be safe with me."
Martha gave a snort of laughter. "Doctor, you're in no fit state to do anything about my virtue." She began undressing, revealing the pyjamas she still wore under the clothes the TARDIS had provided.
"Do you want to bet?" he challenged.
"Doctor!" she gasped, then laughed. "What are you like? Since when have you had any interest in my virtue."
He raised his eyebrows at her. "You might be surprised, Dr Jones," he answered, smirking.
"Stop it!" she warned, laughing again, then climbed into the bed beside him.
"Don't you believe me?"
"Are you serious?" Martha asked, surprised by the turn the conversation was taking.
"I'm serious when I say that I find you beautiful and desirable," he answered. "I'm also serious when I say that your virtue is safe with me. Your friendship means more to me than anything else, so I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise it." He picked up her right hand in his left and interlaced their fingers. "When you walked out on me, you accused me of never seeing you, and I let you believe that was true, but it never was. I'd have to be blind to miss seeing such a beautiful young woman as you, and I am not, and was not, blind. But I was scared about letting anyone get too close to me again after Rose. So I conveniently ignored your feelings, instead of talking to you and making it clear that friendship was all that I could offer to you."
He looked up at her, seeing the mixture of emotions on her face. "Rose and I were very close friends, and you and I could have been equally as close, but I kept pushing you away, and I know that was completely unfair. You didn't deserve that, and you certainly didn't deserve to walk away from me thinking that I didn't see you or care about you, especially after that Year. I want to apologise unreservedly to you for that, and I want to thank you for not letting my behaviour stop you from being such a good friend to me."
She squeezed his hand tightly. "You're a silly so-and-so," she said, her voice full of affection. "Sometimes you are your own worst enemy, you know that, right?"
He nodded. "I know."
Martha gave him a thoughtful look before speaking. "I love you to bits," she told him. "Always have done, possibly always will. You're one of my best friends and I'll always be here or there for you, if you need a tame doctor to fix you up after one of your mad escapades, or if you just want someone to have tea and crumpets with. Or indeed, anything in between."
"Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Now, are you going to get some sleep, or rest at least, and let me catch up on some of my sleep?"
"Yes ma'am," he answered, smirking when she rolled her eyes.
She shook her head at him, then settled down to sleep, noting that he was still holding her hand.
* * * * * *
The Doctor healed quickly, Martha was relieved to discover, and after a few days he declared himself fit to pilot the TARDIS.
"What date was it, when the TARDIS collected you?" he asked, his hands hovering over the console.
"Christmas Eve," she told him.
"And you were in Cardiff?" he checked.
She nodded agreement.
"All right. The old girl could do with refuelling, so we'll kill two birds with one stone."
"Thanks." She held onto the edge of the console as the ship left Frostfall, the planet where the Doctor had been busy flying the TARDIS with the aid of reindeer.
"Reckon Jack'd mind if I popped in and said hello?" he asked.
"Of course not," Martha said positively. "Don't you know by now that we are always glad to see you?"
He shrugged a shoulder, not looking at her, so she stepped closer and slid an arm around his waist. "I mean it," she said, looking up into his face. "You're our friend and we do worry about you. If you ever need a friend, Jack or I will always be glad to see you."
He slung his left arm around her shoulders. "I know," he said quietly.
"Good."
The ship materialised on the Rift, and the Doctor set her to refuel, then he hugged Martha properly. "Come on then, let's go and see what mischief the Captain's up to."
She grinned, then led the way down the ramp and out onto the Plass where Jack was already hurrying towards them.
"Martha!" he shouted. "Thank god, I was so worried about you!"
She lifted her eyebrows and glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged. "Why?" she asked as the Captain came up and grabbed her in a tight hug.
"I've been trying to get hold of you all morning, and couldn't. I went over to your hotel and your room - well, the bed had obviously been slept in, and your clothes were still there, but no one had seen you."
She looked amused. "The Doctor sent the TARDIS to fetch me," she told Jack. "He was injured and needed my assistance."
The Captain looked the Time Lord up and down. "She took good care of you, then," he observed.
"Of course!" the Doctor said immediately, resting a hand on Martha's shoulder. "She always does."
"How is everyone?" asked Martha.
"They're doing okay," he answered. "Your antiviral drugs are working well."
"Glad to hear it," she said, then grabbed the Doctor's hand. "Are you staying?"
He hesitated, and Jack chipped in. "Go on, Doc, stay for a couple of days, spend Christmas with your friends."
"All right," the Doctor said. "Why not." He grinned. "And after Christmas, I'll take you both to Frostfall and we can all try flying the TARDIS with reindeer again."
"We can what?" asked Jack, obviously wondering if he'd heard right.
Martha laughed. "That is how he got injured - he hitched a team of six reindeer up to the TARDIS and flew her like a sleigh."
The Captain shook his head. "Only you," he said, slinging one arm around the Time Lord's shoulders, and the other around Martha. "Come on."
* * * * * *
The three friends spent some time buying presents - the Doctor insisted on getting presents for Martha and Jack, so they immediately insisted on getting one for him in return, despite his demurrals. Then the Doctor moved the TARDIS inside the Hub once she was refuelled, and Martha checked out of her hotel so that she could sleep aboard the ship with the Doctor, and he invited Jack to do the same.
"Are we having a tree?" asked Jack as he carried Martha's case up the ramp, while she carried the neatly wrapped gifts.
The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at them. "I think the TARDIS and I can provide a small one, at least," he agreed. "Martha, your pyjamas are still in my room."
"What?!" gasped Jack, sounding even more surprised than when he'd been told about the reindeer towing the TARDIS. "You're sleeping with the Doctor!"
"Sleeping with - as in sharing a bed and sleeping in it, yes," she answered. "Nothing else."
"But why not?" he asked. "Why aren't you doing more than sleeping?"
"Jack," said the Doctor in a warning tone, worried that Martha would be upset or offended.
"It's okay, Doctor," she told him, before turning back to Jack. "Our relationship's not like that."
"Yeah, but - " he began.
"Jack, don't," the Time Lord said, intervening again. "I don't want you to make Martha feel uncomfortable."
Jack held his hands up, palms out. "Okay, okay." He turned to Martha. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."
She nodded. "Shall we go and get organised?" she suggested.
Jack nodded, and led the way, putting Martha's case in her room, before going on to his own as she set down the gifts on her desk for safe keeping until the tree was set up.
The Doctor stepped just inside her bedroom door. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "I should have just brought your pyjamas back discreetly."
She shook her head. "It's okay," she assured him. "I know what Jack's like. He wouldn't be Jack if he didn't come out with those sort of comments." She wandered back over to him and slid her arms around him, inside his jacket, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her in return.
"I enjoyed having you share my bed," he told her softly. "Even if we only slept together."
"I enjoyed it, too." She rested her cheek against his chest, between his hearts. "There's no reason why we shouldn't do it again tonight," she said, "unless you'd rather not."
"What about Jack?"
Martha snorted with laughter. "If you ask Jack, you won't get much sleep. You know how much he fancies you."
The Doctor chuckled. "I meant are you okay sleeping in my bed while Jack's aboard?"
"Well, now he knows I've been sharing your bed, I don't see that it matters," she answered.
"Then I'll leave your PJs in my bed," he told her.
"Done. So, tree?"
He kissed the top of her head, then dropped his arms before offering her a hand. "Come with me, and we'll get a tree."
She accepted his hand and let him lead her through the corridors until they reached one of several gardens aboard the ship; she and the Doctor had explored them all while he was healing, talking about a good many things while Martha pushed his wheelchair. They'd also lain on a blanket on the grass to talk, nap, read, and eat picnics; Martha had felt herself growing far closer to the Time Lord in the days while he was healing from his injuries than at any time when she'd been travelling with him. She wasn't sure if it was simply his apology for his previous behaviour, or something more, but she welcomed the new closeness between them, and she knew that a corner of her heart would always belong to the Doctor.
"Here we go," he said cheerfully, breaking into her reverie. "What do you think?" He indicated a tree.
She looked at the silver fir tree and squeezed his hand. "It's perfect," she said.
"Good."
* * * * * *
An hour later, the potted and now decorated silver fir was installed in the Control Room, with the friends' presents underneath it. Martha had had to slap both Jack's and the Doctor's wrists to stop them from trying to shake their presents in the hope of discovering what they were getting, and she'd insisted on going to the kitchen for hot chocolate and mince pies as a distraction. The hot chocolate had soon been swapped for hot mulled wine using a secret recipe of the Doctor's that Martha suspected was rather stronger than any she'd find on Earth. She was currently sipping it cautiously as she didn't want to end up drunk, but Jack was knocking it back as if it was water, and she wondered whether she was going to see a drunk Captain Harkness. She glanced sideways at the Time Lord and saw amusement lurking in his eyes, and she couldn't help wondering if he already knew what effect the alcohol would have on their friend.
"And - and - " Jack paused, mid-anecdote, and gave his friends a puzzled look. "Wassin this drunk?" he asked.
"Spices," answered the Doctor in a mild tone.
"Mebbe bedsa goodidea." He blinked owlishly at the Time Lord, who nodded.
"Come on then, Captain." The Doctor helped him to his feet, then slung one of Jack's arms around his shoulders and helped him out into the corridor. Martha followed, a slight grin on her face, as she watched the two of them stagger along to the door of Jack's room. She stood in the doorway and waited while the Time Lord got Jack's boots, socks, shirt and braces off, leaving him in his t-shirt and trousers.
"He'll probably be out for quite a few hours," the Doctor told Martha as he ushered her out of the room and shut the door quietly behind them.
"Did you know it'd make him drunk like that?" she asked.
He raised his eyebrows at her. "Dr Jones, are you accusing me of getting Captain Harkness plastered?"
"No. I just asked if you knew what effect it would have on him."
He shook his head. "I didn't. I thought he had a harder head than that." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "So, Martha Jones, it's just us two again - what would you like to do?" When she hesitated, he ducked his head a little to look at her face. "What?"
"You'll think I'm silly," she said.
"Never," he said emphatically.
"Well, I'd like to snuggle up with you and a copy of A Christmas Carol," she said. "Could we take it in turns to read it to each other?"
"We could and we shall." He grinned. "Come on, let's go and dig a copy out of the library."
The Doctor practically dragged her down the corridors in his haste to carry out Martha's plan. He quickly found a copy of Dickens' book, then they headed back to the Doctor's room and snuggled up together on his bed, Martha's head resting on his shoulder as he began to read.
* * * * * *
Several hours later, the Doctor laid aside the book as Martha had fallen asleep. He'd gone to check on Jack a couple of hours earlier, and found the Captain still fast asleep; when he'd returned to his room, she'd changed into her pyjamas, so he took the hint and went into his ensuite bathroom to change into his own. They'd continued reading, but now Martha was asleep, her head on his shoulder and her left hand lay curled up between his hearts.
He pulled off his glasses and put them on top of the book, putting them both on the bedside table, then settled back against the pillows again. He kissed the top of Martha's head, and she murmured something indistinct in response, then shifted her head to kiss his jaw. He tried to see her face, because he'd thought she was fast asleep.
"Martha?" He spoke softly in case she was still asleep.
"Mm-hmm." She lifted her head slightly and gave him a sleepy look.
"You kissed me," he told her.
"You started it," she mumbled.
His eyes widened. "I only kissed the top of your head," he said, slightly defensively.
She smiled. "And I kissed your jaw. What's the problem?"
"Nothing," he said. "I like your kisses."
"Yours aren't bad," she answered, her smile becoming more of a smirk when she saw his expression.
"My kisses are very good, I'll have you know," he spluttered.
"Mmm, if you say so."
Without thinking what he was doing, he lifted her chin and leaned forward to kiss her on the mouth. She murmured in a pleased way, then reciprocated, pushing herself further up on his chest in order to facilitate their kiss.
When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, the Doctor was looking somewhat dazed, and she grinned at him.
"So we're both good kissers," he observed, and her grin became a smirk.
"Glad to hear it, Mr Smith," she answered. "Now can I go to sleep?"
"Only if I can have a goodnight kiss," he said, grinning cheekily at her.
"Oh you!" She leaned forward and kissed him again, and he wrapped an arm around her as they snuggled down in the bed together.
"Goodnight Martha."
"Goodnight Doctor."
* * * * * *
The three friends spent Christmas Day lazing around in the TARDIS, eating, drinking, talking and playing silly board games once the present opening was done, then on Boxing Day, the Doctor took them to Frostfall, and Jack and Martha got to experience the thrill of riding on the TARDIS as she was towed by reindeer. All three of them wore elbow and knee pads, as well as helmets, at Martha's insistence, and although the Doctor complained half-heartedly that she was a spoilsport, she noticed that it was really only a token protest, and he put on the helmet and pads before clambering up onto the side of the ship.
"This is completely mad," Martha said, sitting behind the Doctor with her arms around his waist, while Jack settled behind her and held her steady.
"It'll be fun!" the Time Lord called back over the noise of the ship's engines.
The reindeer began to gallop, and then they were airborne, and Martha couldn't help joining in Jack's and the Doctor's whoops of joy and excitement.
"Yeeee-haaaaa!" yelled Jack, as if he was a cowboy riding a Bucking Bronco.
"WhooooHoooooo!" cried the Doctor.
"Wheeeee!" shrieked Martha as they shot into a loop-the-loop.
The landscape rang with their cries and shrieks as the Doctor steered the TARDIS through a variety of manoeuvres until even he was glad to let the reindeer land again so they could pile into the ship and head to the kitchen for hot chocolate with marshmallows, and warm mince pies.
"That was great fun," Jack told the Time Lord when they eventually headed back to the Control Room for their return to Earth.
"Told you," he answered, looking smug. He looked at Martha, then raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it was fun," she agreed.
"Good." He set the coordinates to take them back to Cardiff, and the ship carried them safely back to the Hub.
"Come and see us again soon," Jack requested, giving the Time Lord a hug before heading up to his office, leaving Martha and the Doctor to make their farewells.
"Jack's right," she said. "You know where to find us more easily than we know where to find you, so pop by occasionally - even if it's only for an hour or so to catch up."
"Yes ma'am." He gave her a sloppy salute, and she shook her head, laughing, before hugging him. He kissed her, then stepped back inside the TARDIS door, sketching a wave.
The ship dematerialised, and Martha went to find Jack. All in all it had been a fun Christmas, she decided.
Title: Donner and Blitzen
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Jack
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None (Pre-TW: S3, post-DW: Planet of the Dead)
Summary: The Doctor discovers the perils of unorthodox TARDIS flight, but enjoys Christmas anyway.
Disclaimer: I occasionally wish that I did own it!
Author Notes: This fic is a surprise Holiday Gift for nschick, and was inspired by this Doctor Who 'ident' clip which the BBC are using this Christmas. Yes, I've written tag fic for an ident. My plot bunnies know no shame!
Betas: the incomparable abstruse_fangrl and catholicphoton
~~~~~~
"Wheeeeeeeeeee! Yahoooo! Woop, Woop, Woop!" yelled the Doctor gleefully as the TARDIS shot through the air, towed by half a dozen flying reindeer. The ship's engines wheezed gently beneath him as they provided extra motive power so that the reindeer didn't have to do all of the work.
He yelled, and cheered, and whooped joyfully, having more fun than he could remember having in a long time, as they whooshed across the landscape of Frostfall, looping the loop, performing complicated turns, and generally showing off. The local birds fled in a panic, but that just made the Doctor laugh even more. His only regret, and it was a tiny one, was that there was no one with him to share in the fun.
* * * * * *
Three hours later
The Doctor groaned his way into consciousness, wondering just what had befallen him this time, because he felt like he'd been hit by a bus. He tried to lift his hands to hold his aching head, and let out a scream of agony as hot pain lanced through his body.
He lay whimpering as he waited for the pain to subside, then cautiously opened his eyes. At first all he could see was whiteness, then he managed to lift his head a scant inch, and realised he was lying in a snowdrift. After that memory came flooding back: he'd been flying the TARDIS like a sleigh, pulled by some reindeer, and they'd crashed when one of the reindeer had been spooked by a diving hawk that had resented having its territory invaded.
He reached out mentally for the TARDIS and realised that she was relatively nearby, and still in one piece. I'm sorry, old girl, he apologised, feeling guilty about crashing his ship, and about flying her in such an unorthodox manner, although he had enjoyed it at the time, especially looping-the-loop.
"Rassilon," he groaned, now remembering that he'd been in the middle of the loop, right at its very apex, when the reindeer had been spooked, and he'd lost control.
He closed his eyes again and concentrated on establishing how much damage he'd done to himself; he half-wished he'd regenerated, but apparently he hadn't done himself sufficient injury to cause a regeneration. The final inventory of his injuries was one broken ankle (right), one broken elbow and wrist (right), one dislocated shoulder (left), and a number of cuts and bruises. He was also doubtful about the state of his ribs on the right side, but couldn't tell for certain if they were merely bruised or actually cracked.
"Oh, I need a doctor," he groaned.
The TARDIS hummed a heartfelt agreement, and he felt a spark of an idea. Can you go and fetch her for me? he asked tentatively.
The ship hummed again, and then a few moments later he heard the familiar wheeze and groan of her engines as she departed. It was highly unusual for a TARDIS to operate without a pilot at all, but then, his ship was unusual by the standards of the now-departed Time Lords anyway.
He allowed his consciousness to retreat, putting himself into a healing sleep until the ship and his doctor should arrive. He just hoped Martha would be willing to enter the TARDIS without his presence, and that she wouldn't panic when the ship took off with only her aboard.
* * * * * *
Earth
It was the early hours of Christmas Eve, and Martha Jones lay fast asleep in her hotel room. She'd spent the previous day, until some time after 1am, helping Jack, Gwen and Ianto deal with a very nasty virus that had broken out in Cardiff, and she'd barely managed to undress herself and put on her pyjamas before she'd fallen asleep, utterly exhausted.
She'd been asleep for roughly three hours when she was rudely awoken by a wholly unexpected, yet utterly familiar sound: the groaning and wheezing of the TARDIS materialising. She moaned into her pillow in dismay, then rolled over and snapped on the bedside light, expecting the Doctor to come bounding out at any second; instead the door opened slowly, but no Time Lord appeared.
Puzzled and slightly worried, Martha pulled herself up, then climbed out of bed. She grabbed up her dressing gown and pulled it on, then shuffled her feet into her slippers before padding over to the ship.
"Doctor?" she called as she stepped inside. There was no sign of him in the Control Room, so she headed towards the door that led to the ship's interior, wondering if he was in the Medical Bay for some reason, but she was only halfway there when the TARDIS door closed, and then the ship began to dematerialise.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed, shocked. "What's going on?"
The ship hummed at her, but there was no other answer; the Time Rotor whirred up and down, but the Doctor didn't appear. Martha was forced to cling onto the railing at the edge of the central dais as the ship hurtled through the Vortex; she wondered where she was going, and what had happened to the Time Lord for the TARDIS to forcibly kidnap her in such a manner.
Before she could get too anxious, the Time Rotor slowed, and then the ship landed with her customary bump. Martha hurried to the door, flinging it open, then recoiling in surprise when she saw the deep snow outside.
"I'm not dressed to go out in that!" she exclaimed, turning away from the door. As she hurried back up the ramp she spotted a pile of clothing on the Captain's chair, and she made a beeline for it. She found jeans, a heavy sweater, boots and a thickly padded coat, and she pulled them on over her pyjamas as quickly as she could, before hurrying back down the ramp and out into the snow.
She looked around, wondering why the TARDIS had brought her here, wherever 'here' was, then she heard a faint call. Was the Doctor calling her, she wondered.
"Doctor?" she called back, hoping it was safe to do so and that no one nasty was lurking nearby.
"Martha!" A faint cry answered her.
She began to forge a path forward through the snow, and quickly found the Time Lord sprawled in a snowdrift.
"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, shocked by the state of his clothes, and the bruises she could see on his face.
"Had a bit of an accident," he answered, his voice sounding weak.
"How badly are you hurt?" she asked immediately.
"Broke several bones," he said, "including my right ankle."
Martha swore softly. "How am I going to get you into the TARDIS?" she asked, wishing she'd had the chance to bring Jack, who could have helped her to carry the Doctor.
"There's - " He stopped, gasping for a moment, then continued. "There's a special stretcher in the Med Bay, it floats," he told her. "Ask the TARDIS to find it for you."
"All right. I'll be back as quick as I can."
He gave a tiny nod, then his eyes closed, and Martha turned and hurried back to the TARDIS as quickly as she could.
"I need the floating stretcher," she told the ship as she dashed inside. She found the Medical Bay was just outside the Control Room, and on top of one of the beds was an object that was clearly a stretcher, even if it did look rather futuristic. She snatched it up, then hurried back out to the Doctor.
"There's no way I can put you onto this without hurting you," she told him apologetically as she positioned the stretcher close by.
"I know," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Martha bent and kissed his forehead, then gritted her teeth and carefully rolled him over onto his back with the stretcher beneath him. He let out a harsh cry, then blacked out; she felt her heart clench and her stomach churn at his reaction, then she activated the mechanism that made it rise up from the snow as if gravity meant nothing at all.
She carefully guided the stretcher back to the ship, then inside, feeling grateful that the TARDIS had opened the second door so she wouldn't have to struggle to manoeuvre the Doctor inside. In the Medical Bay, she settled the stretcher on top of one of the examination beds, then proceeded to get the Doctor out of his clothes. She was grateful that he remained unconscious while she was carrying out this task, as it made it easier to be quick when she didn't have to worry about hurting him as much as if he'd been able to react to being hurt.
Once she had him down to his trousers and t-shirt, she set about using the portable X-ray machine to check the damage; she felt glad that she'd got the Doctor to show her how to use at least some of the equipment in the Med Bay as it made her job quicker.
He came around again as Martha was looking at the various X-ray images which the TARDIS had projected onto the wall above the bed.
"Martha?" he croaked.
She bent over him. "Hello Doctor," she said softly. "I've just been looking at your X-rays."
"Ribs?" he asked.
"Not broken," she assured him, "though you're developing some spectacular bruising there. What the hell have you been doing?"
"Um, flying the TARDIS like it was a sleigh, complete with reindeer," he answered, looking slightly sheepish.
Martha gaped at him. "I'm not going to ask," she said weakly. "Did you have fun?"
"Oh yes," he assured her.
"I guess that makes the broken bones and bruises worth it, then," she commented. "But I'm going to have to patch you up now, which will mean hurting you some more." He nodded ruefully. "Is there anything I can give you to ease the pain, before I begin?"
He told her the name of a drug, and which cupboard it was in, and she gave it to him, holding his left hand while they waited for it to kick in.
"What am I going to do with you?" she teased gently. "Only you would be daft enough to turn the TARDIS into a sleigh and fly it around."
"It was fun," he protested.
"So you said."
"What were you doing when the TARDIS arrived?" he asked, changing the subject in a very obvious manner.
She hesitated to answer, and he groaned. "Let me guess, you were asleep?"
Martha nodded. "Had a very long day, helping out Jack's team," she told him. "It's okay, though, it's not your fault. And I can catch up while you get some rest."
He squeezed her hand. "I am sorry, though," he said sincerely.
She bent down and kissed his cheek. "It's okay. I'm glad you sent the TARDIS for me - I'd hate to think of you being trapped here in a snowdrift and unable to move for ages. Now, are you ready for me to starting mauling you about?"
"Mauling?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm teasing," she assured him quickly. "But this will be painful until I've got your bones set and in casts."
"I know." He sighed. "Go ahead."
Martha nodded, then set to work, feeling very glad that the Doctor kept the TARDIS well stocked with advanced casts since she was able to use them with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of speed. Within an hour, she had reset the Doctor's dislocated shoulder, then put casts on his right ankle and his right arm so that both his wrist and elbow were immobilised. She also bandaged his ribs to remind him that they were bruised and to be careful of what he did.
"Right then, mister, let's get you to your room so you can get some proper rest."
"I wouldn't mind a nap," the Doctor agreed.
She helped him down off the bed and into a wheelchair, then gathered up his discarded clothes which he took from her, putting them on his lap, so that Martha could wheel him through the ship to his bedroom.
Once there, she helped him change into his pyjamas, then got him settled in bed. "Do you want a cup of tea or something to eat?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Are you going to join me?" he asked. "This bed's big enough for two, and your virtue will be safe with me."
Martha gave a snort of laughter. "Doctor, you're in no fit state to do anything about my virtue." She began undressing, revealing the pyjamas she still wore under the clothes the TARDIS had provided.
"Do you want to bet?" he challenged.
"Doctor!" she gasped, then laughed. "What are you like? Since when have you had any interest in my virtue."
He raised his eyebrows at her. "You might be surprised, Dr Jones," he answered, smirking.
"Stop it!" she warned, laughing again, then climbed into the bed beside him.
"Don't you believe me?"
"Are you serious?" Martha asked, surprised by the turn the conversation was taking.
"I'm serious when I say that I find you beautiful and desirable," he answered. "I'm also serious when I say that your virtue is safe with me. Your friendship means more to me than anything else, so I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise it." He picked up her right hand in his left and interlaced their fingers. "When you walked out on me, you accused me of never seeing you, and I let you believe that was true, but it never was. I'd have to be blind to miss seeing such a beautiful young woman as you, and I am not, and was not, blind. But I was scared about letting anyone get too close to me again after Rose. So I conveniently ignored your feelings, instead of talking to you and making it clear that friendship was all that I could offer to you."
He looked up at her, seeing the mixture of emotions on her face. "Rose and I were very close friends, and you and I could have been equally as close, but I kept pushing you away, and I know that was completely unfair. You didn't deserve that, and you certainly didn't deserve to walk away from me thinking that I didn't see you or care about you, especially after that Year. I want to apologise unreservedly to you for that, and I want to thank you for not letting my behaviour stop you from being such a good friend to me."
She squeezed his hand tightly. "You're a silly so-and-so," she said, her voice full of affection. "Sometimes you are your own worst enemy, you know that, right?"
He nodded. "I know."
Martha gave him a thoughtful look before speaking. "I love you to bits," she told him. "Always have done, possibly always will. You're one of my best friends and I'll always be here or there for you, if you need a tame doctor to fix you up after one of your mad escapades, or if you just want someone to have tea and crumpets with. Or indeed, anything in between."
"Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Now, are you going to get some sleep, or rest at least, and let me catch up on some of my sleep?"
"Yes ma'am," he answered, smirking when she rolled her eyes.
She shook her head at him, then settled down to sleep, noting that he was still holding her hand.
* * * * * *
The Doctor healed quickly, Martha was relieved to discover, and after a few days he declared himself fit to pilot the TARDIS.
"What date was it, when the TARDIS collected you?" he asked, his hands hovering over the console.
"Christmas Eve," she told him.
"And you were in Cardiff?" he checked.
She nodded agreement.
"All right. The old girl could do with refuelling, so we'll kill two birds with one stone."
"Thanks." She held onto the edge of the console as the ship left Frostfall, the planet where the Doctor had been busy flying the TARDIS with the aid of reindeer.
"Reckon Jack'd mind if I popped in and said hello?" he asked.
"Of course not," Martha said positively. "Don't you know by now that we are always glad to see you?"
He shrugged a shoulder, not looking at her, so she stepped closer and slid an arm around his waist. "I mean it," she said, looking up into his face. "You're our friend and we do worry about you. If you ever need a friend, Jack or I will always be glad to see you."
He slung his left arm around her shoulders. "I know," he said quietly.
"Good."
The ship materialised on the Rift, and the Doctor set her to refuel, then he hugged Martha properly. "Come on then, let's go and see what mischief the Captain's up to."
She grinned, then led the way down the ramp and out onto the Plass where Jack was already hurrying towards them.
"Martha!" he shouted. "Thank god, I was so worried about you!"
She lifted her eyebrows and glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged. "Why?" she asked as the Captain came up and grabbed her in a tight hug.
"I've been trying to get hold of you all morning, and couldn't. I went over to your hotel and your room - well, the bed had obviously been slept in, and your clothes were still there, but no one had seen you."
She looked amused. "The Doctor sent the TARDIS to fetch me," she told Jack. "He was injured and needed my assistance."
The Captain looked the Time Lord up and down. "She took good care of you, then," he observed.
"Of course!" the Doctor said immediately, resting a hand on Martha's shoulder. "She always does."
"How is everyone?" asked Martha.
"They're doing okay," he answered. "Your antiviral drugs are working well."
"Glad to hear it," she said, then grabbed the Doctor's hand. "Are you staying?"
He hesitated, and Jack chipped in. "Go on, Doc, stay for a couple of days, spend Christmas with your friends."
"All right," the Doctor said. "Why not." He grinned. "And after Christmas, I'll take you both to Frostfall and we can all try flying the TARDIS with reindeer again."
"We can what?" asked Jack, obviously wondering if he'd heard right.
Martha laughed. "That is how he got injured - he hitched a team of six reindeer up to the TARDIS and flew her like a sleigh."
The Captain shook his head. "Only you," he said, slinging one arm around the Time Lord's shoulders, and the other around Martha. "Come on."
* * * * * *
The three friends spent some time buying presents - the Doctor insisted on getting presents for Martha and Jack, so they immediately insisted on getting one for him in return, despite his demurrals. Then the Doctor moved the TARDIS inside the Hub once she was refuelled, and Martha checked out of her hotel so that she could sleep aboard the ship with the Doctor, and he invited Jack to do the same.
"Are we having a tree?" asked Jack as he carried Martha's case up the ramp, while she carried the neatly wrapped gifts.
The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at them. "I think the TARDIS and I can provide a small one, at least," he agreed. "Martha, your pyjamas are still in my room."
"What?!" gasped Jack, sounding even more surprised than when he'd been told about the reindeer towing the TARDIS. "You're sleeping with the Doctor!"
"Sleeping with - as in sharing a bed and sleeping in it, yes," she answered. "Nothing else."
"But why not?" he asked. "Why aren't you doing more than sleeping?"
"Jack," said the Doctor in a warning tone, worried that Martha would be upset or offended.
"It's okay, Doctor," she told him, before turning back to Jack. "Our relationship's not like that."
"Yeah, but - " he began.
"Jack, don't," the Time Lord said, intervening again. "I don't want you to make Martha feel uncomfortable."
Jack held his hands up, palms out. "Okay, okay." He turned to Martha. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."
She nodded. "Shall we go and get organised?" she suggested.
Jack nodded, and led the way, putting Martha's case in her room, before going on to his own as she set down the gifts on her desk for safe keeping until the tree was set up.
The Doctor stepped just inside her bedroom door. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "I should have just brought your pyjamas back discreetly."
She shook her head. "It's okay," she assured him. "I know what Jack's like. He wouldn't be Jack if he didn't come out with those sort of comments." She wandered back over to him and slid her arms around him, inside his jacket, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her in return.
"I enjoyed having you share my bed," he told her softly. "Even if we only slept together."
"I enjoyed it, too." She rested her cheek against his chest, between his hearts. "There's no reason why we shouldn't do it again tonight," she said, "unless you'd rather not."
"What about Jack?"
Martha snorted with laughter. "If you ask Jack, you won't get much sleep. You know how much he fancies you."
The Doctor chuckled. "I meant are you okay sleeping in my bed while Jack's aboard?"
"Well, now he knows I've been sharing your bed, I don't see that it matters," she answered.
"Then I'll leave your PJs in my bed," he told her.
"Done. So, tree?"
He kissed the top of her head, then dropped his arms before offering her a hand. "Come with me, and we'll get a tree."
She accepted his hand and let him lead her through the corridors until they reached one of several gardens aboard the ship; she and the Doctor had explored them all while he was healing, talking about a good many things while Martha pushed his wheelchair. They'd also lain on a blanket on the grass to talk, nap, read, and eat picnics; Martha had felt herself growing far closer to the Time Lord in the days while he was healing from his injuries than at any time when she'd been travelling with him. She wasn't sure if it was simply his apology for his previous behaviour, or something more, but she welcomed the new closeness between them, and she knew that a corner of her heart would always belong to the Doctor.
"Here we go," he said cheerfully, breaking into her reverie. "What do you think?" He indicated a tree.
She looked at the silver fir tree and squeezed his hand. "It's perfect," she said.
"Good."
* * * * * *
An hour later, the potted and now decorated silver fir was installed in the Control Room, with the friends' presents underneath it. Martha had had to slap both Jack's and the Doctor's wrists to stop them from trying to shake their presents in the hope of discovering what they were getting, and she'd insisted on going to the kitchen for hot chocolate and mince pies as a distraction. The hot chocolate had soon been swapped for hot mulled wine using a secret recipe of the Doctor's that Martha suspected was rather stronger than any she'd find on Earth. She was currently sipping it cautiously as she didn't want to end up drunk, but Jack was knocking it back as if it was water, and she wondered whether she was going to see a drunk Captain Harkness. She glanced sideways at the Time Lord and saw amusement lurking in his eyes, and she couldn't help wondering if he already knew what effect the alcohol would have on their friend.
"And - and - " Jack paused, mid-anecdote, and gave his friends a puzzled look. "Wassin this drunk?" he asked.
"Spices," answered the Doctor in a mild tone.
"Mebbe bedsa goodidea." He blinked owlishly at the Time Lord, who nodded.
"Come on then, Captain." The Doctor helped him to his feet, then slung one of Jack's arms around his shoulders and helped him out into the corridor. Martha followed, a slight grin on her face, as she watched the two of them stagger along to the door of Jack's room. She stood in the doorway and waited while the Time Lord got Jack's boots, socks, shirt and braces off, leaving him in his t-shirt and trousers.
"He'll probably be out for quite a few hours," the Doctor told Martha as he ushered her out of the room and shut the door quietly behind them.
"Did you know it'd make him drunk like that?" she asked.
He raised his eyebrows at her. "Dr Jones, are you accusing me of getting Captain Harkness plastered?"
"No. I just asked if you knew what effect it would have on him."
He shook his head. "I didn't. I thought he had a harder head than that." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "So, Martha Jones, it's just us two again - what would you like to do?" When she hesitated, he ducked his head a little to look at her face. "What?"
"You'll think I'm silly," she said.
"Never," he said emphatically.
"Well, I'd like to snuggle up with you and a copy of A Christmas Carol," she said. "Could we take it in turns to read it to each other?"
"We could and we shall." He grinned. "Come on, let's go and dig a copy out of the library."
The Doctor practically dragged her down the corridors in his haste to carry out Martha's plan. He quickly found a copy of Dickens' book, then they headed back to the Doctor's room and snuggled up together on his bed, Martha's head resting on his shoulder as he began to read.
* * * * * *
Several hours later, the Doctor laid aside the book as Martha had fallen asleep. He'd gone to check on Jack a couple of hours earlier, and found the Captain still fast asleep; when he'd returned to his room, she'd changed into her pyjamas, so he took the hint and went into his ensuite bathroom to change into his own. They'd continued reading, but now Martha was asleep, her head on his shoulder and her left hand lay curled up between his hearts.
He pulled off his glasses and put them on top of the book, putting them both on the bedside table, then settled back against the pillows again. He kissed the top of Martha's head, and she murmured something indistinct in response, then shifted her head to kiss his jaw. He tried to see her face, because he'd thought she was fast asleep.
"Martha?" He spoke softly in case she was still asleep.
"Mm-hmm." She lifted her head slightly and gave him a sleepy look.
"You kissed me," he told her.
"You started it," she mumbled.
His eyes widened. "I only kissed the top of your head," he said, slightly defensively.
She smiled. "And I kissed your jaw. What's the problem?"
"Nothing," he said. "I like your kisses."
"Yours aren't bad," she answered, her smile becoming more of a smirk when she saw his expression.
"My kisses are very good, I'll have you know," he spluttered.
"Mmm, if you say so."
Without thinking what he was doing, he lifted her chin and leaned forward to kiss her on the mouth. She murmured in a pleased way, then reciprocated, pushing herself further up on his chest in order to facilitate their kiss.
When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, the Doctor was looking somewhat dazed, and she grinned at him.
"So we're both good kissers," he observed, and her grin became a smirk.
"Glad to hear it, Mr Smith," she answered. "Now can I go to sleep?"
"Only if I can have a goodnight kiss," he said, grinning cheekily at her.
"Oh you!" She leaned forward and kissed him again, and he wrapped an arm around her as they snuggled down in the bed together.
"Goodnight Martha."
"Goodnight Doctor."
* * * * * *
The three friends spent Christmas Day lazing around in the TARDIS, eating, drinking, talking and playing silly board games once the present opening was done, then on Boxing Day, the Doctor took them to Frostfall, and Jack and Martha got to experience the thrill of riding on the TARDIS as she was towed by reindeer. All three of them wore elbow and knee pads, as well as helmets, at Martha's insistence, and although the Doctor complained half-heartedly that she was a spoilsport, she noticed that it was really only a token protest, and he put on the helmet and pads before clambering up onto the side of the ship.
"This is completely mad," Martha said, sitting behind the Doctor with her arms around his waist, while Jack settled behind her and held her steady.
"It'll be fun!" the Time Lord called back over the noise of the ship's engines.
The reindeer began to gallop, and then they were airborne, and Martha couldn't help joining in Jack's and the Doctor's whoops of joy and excitement.
"Yeeee-haaaaa!" yelled Jack, as if he was a cowboy riding a Bucking Bronco.
"WhooooHoooooo!" cried the Doctor.
"Wheeeee!" shrieked Martha as they shot into a loop-the-loop.
The landscape rang with their cries and shrieks as the Doctor steered the TARDIS through a variety of manoeuvres until even he was glad to let the reindeer land again so they could pile into the ship and head to the kitchen for hot chocolate with marshmallows, and warm mince pies.
"That was great fun," Jack told the Time Lord when they eventually headed back to the Control Room for their return to Earth.
"Told you," he answered, looking smug. He looked at Martha, then raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it was fun," she agreed.
"Good." He set the coordinates to take them back to Cardiff, and the ship carried them safely back to the Hub.
"Come and see us again soon," Jack requested, giving the Time Lord a hug before heading up to his office, leaving Martha and the Doctor to make their farewells.
"Jack's right," she said. "You know where to find us more easily than we know where to find you, so pop by occasionally - even if it's only for an hour or so to catch up."
"Yes ma'am." He gave her a sloppy salute, and she shook her head, laughing, before hugging him. He kissed her, then stepped back inside the TARDIS door, sketching a wave.
The ship dematerialised, and Martha went to find Jack. All in all it had been a fun Christmas, she decided.